Typewriting machine



May 2, 3939- c. w. CRUMRINE 2,l57,053

TYPEWRITING MACHINE Filed Sept. 18, 1955 4 Sheets-Sheet l if if unl-nun o "@gw ATTORNEY Filed Sept. 18, 1935 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVEN OR h/ f ATTORNEY May 29 i939. vc. w. CRUMRINE TYPEWHITING MACHINE Filed sept. 18, 1935 4 Sheets-Shea?l 3 ETVOR ATTORNEY C. W. CRUMRlNE TYPEW May 2, l1939,

RITING MACHINE Filed sepi. 18, 1955 sheets-sheet 4 Patented May 2, i939 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE TYPEWRITING MACHINEv York Application September 18, 1935, Serial No. 41,021

13 Claims.

This invention relates to typewriting machines in general and particularly to tabulating mechanism therefor.

The principal object of the invention is to provide an improved tabulating mechanism.

An object is to kprovide an improved tabulating mechanism of the type known as a key-set tabulator wherein the depression of a stop-setting key or lever causes a selected column stop to become set in operative position.

Another object is to provide means for setting the stops by power in order that the stop-setting key may oier no greater resistance to the touch than the other keys.

A further object is to provide an improved power actuated stop-clearing mechanism wherein the depression of a single key causes all the stops which are in the operative position to be reset automatically to inoperative position.

An object is to provide an improved stop bar in which the stops are more easily assembled and operate more smoothly than in present commercial typewriters.

A further object is to provide an improved stop-setting lever which cannot damage the column stops or be itself damaged if inadventently projected into the path of the column stops while the carriage is moving.

Still another object is to provide an improved and considerably simpler stop yclearing cam for resetting the stops to their inoperative positions.

A further object is to provide an improved governor or carriage brake in which the resistance oiered to free movement of the carriage varies directly as the moving force provided by the usual carriage feeding spring motor.

More general objects are to simplify and improve the tabulating mechanism of a power operated typewriter.

Other objects, advantages, and features of the invention will be particularly pointed out in the following description and claims or will be obvious from a study of the description, claims, and drawings.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a plan view of the tabulating mechanism.

Fig. 2 is a vertical section of the machine showing the tabulating mechanism.

Fig. 3 is an enlarged verticaly section on the.

line 3-3 in Fig. 1.

Fig. 4 is a front elevation of the stop-setting lever and stop-clearing cam.

Fig. 5 is a large scale .rear elevation of the tabulating mechanism and governor.

Fig. 6 is a vertical section on the line E--I in` Fig. 5.

Fig. 7 is a perspective View, partly in section, of the carriage return mechanism and part of the keyboard.

Fig. 8 is a plan view of a modication providing manual means for operating the stop-setting lever and stop-clearing cam. y

Purely as a matter of convenience, the present invention will be described in connection with the well-known Electromatic typewriter and accordingly has been shown in the drawings as embodied in this machine. It is desired to point out however, that the present invention may be used with other typewriting machines, whether powerdriven or manually operated, and may also be used in statistical record card punching machines, or any other machine wherein tabulating mechanism is desirable.

The general construction and operation of the machine may be understood by reference to Patents No. 1,602,757, covering the power-type-bar operating mechanism; No. 1,681,267, the motor driving connections and No. 1,753,450, the automatic carriage return mechanism. Parts of the tabulating mechanism and its principle of operation are described in Patent No. 1,935,436. As the above patents describe the machine in considerable detail and as these mechanisms are now Well-known in the art, only a very brief general description of the machine as a whole will be given herein.

The usual keyboard is provided having character keys I0 (Fig. 2) correspon-ding to which are pivoted type bars I I. The latter are operated, as in Patent No. 1,602,757, by means of cam units having double lobe cams I2 which coact with a power-roller I3 to move the type bars to the printing point. The power-roller I3 is rotated continuously by a motor (not shown) which is connected to a shaft I4 (Fig. 7). Suitable worm gearing I5 connects shaft I4 with a short shaft I6 to which power-roller I3 is removably connected so as to be driven by the motor. Shaft I6 also drives the carriage return mechanism.

The carriage I8 (Fig. 2) is mounted for movement transversely of the machine on a front rail I9a and a rear rail I9b which rails are grooved as usual to guide antifriction-rollers or balls and 'are secured to the main frame of the machine. The carriage comprises plates integrally joined by a channel-shaped member 2l (Figs. 1 and 2) which is also grooved to receive the rollers or balls 22 which mount the carriage on rails I9a, |922. The platen 23 is rotatably mounted in the frame plates 2D. A tie rod 24, a column stop bar 25, and the channel-shaped member 2l join plates 2U to form a rigid carriage frame.

The stop bar 25 may be made from bar stock of substantially rectangular sectional shape. This bar is turned and threaded at both ends to permit adjustably securing it in the carriage frame plates 20 by means of nuts 26 (Fig. 1). The rear face of the bar 25 is provided with a longitudinal groove 2l (Fig'. 3) in which is secured a iulcrum rod or wire 28 and is also provided with a series of vertical straight slots 29 in which are mounted the column stops 30, said stops being pivoted on rod 28. The front face of the bar is also provided with slots 3| but the surfaces forming the bottom, or rather the right-hand ends of the slots 3|, are circular and concentric with the longitudinal axis of rod 28. The slots 3| are located directly n front of slots 29 and both slots co-operate to guide the column stops 30 in their pivotal movement on rod 28. As usual in key-set tabulators, there are as many column stops 30 and co-acting pairs of slots 29, 3| as there are letter spaces in the normal travel of the carriage.

The stops 30 are manufactured from at sheet metal stock and in outline may be likened in shape to a question mark as shown in Fig. 3. Each stop has a shank 30a which has the function of coacting with one of the prongs of a multi-prong spring strip 32 (see Fig. 1 also) to retain the stop in normal unset position and in abnormal or set position. The Shanks 30a also have function of providing a convenient 32 is bearing on the right-hand corner of theV shank 30a associated with the rearmost stop so as to yieldingly hold the latter in unset position. In either f these positions the bottoms, or rather left-hand walls of slots 29 limit movement of the stops 30 under the stimulus of the prongs in spring strip 32. Each stop 30 also has a stop portion 30h which is slightly beveled. This stop portion is adapted, when the stop is set, to cooperate with a lug 33a. in the usual tabulator stop lever 33 to arrest the carriage in the column position corresponding to the set stop.

A spacer bar 34, the spring strip 32, and a spring guard strip 35 are all secured to the underside of stop bar 25 by means of a series of screws 25a threaded into bar 25. The entire stop bar assembly thus comprises the stops 30, the main supporting bar 25, fulcrum rod 28, spacing strip 35, spring strip 32, guard strip 35, and the securing screws 25a and is wholly supported by the carriage frame plates 20.

'I'he tabular stop lever 33 is actuated by power and operates under control of the tabulating key exactly as described in Patent No. 1,935,436. Assuming that a number of the stops 3l) have been set, the depression of the usual tabulating key (not shown) causes operation of a cam unit like the cam units I2 (Fig. 2), but having a single lobe cam. This single lobe cam unit, through a link 36, rocks counterclockwise a lever 31 pivoted on the rod or wire 38 which also pivotally supports the key levers and the sub-levers connected to the type bars.

A pull link 39 is thereby drawn toward the front of the machine or to the left in Fig. 2 rocking an arm 4U (see Fig. 5 also) to which arm link 39 is pivoted. The arm 40 has a lug projecting into a slot 33c in the left-hand end (the upper end as shown in Fig. 1) of the tabular stop lever 33. Contact of the front side of arm 40 with the rear side of the tabular stop lever 33 adjacent slot 33e causes the right-hand or lower end of the lever 33 to move rearwardly of the machine or to the right (Figs. 1 and 2), thus projecting lug 33a into the path of the set stops 30. As described in detail in Patent No. 1,935,436, a pawl 4| (Figs. 1 and 5) pivoted on top of the rail |9b holds lever 33 in its operated position with lug 33a in the path of the set stops 3|). At the same time the lever 33 is operated to project lug 33a into the path of the set stops 30 and latched in this position by pawl 4|, the usual escapement pawls 42 (Fig. 5) are released. Release of the pawls is accomplished by a member 43 pivoted on top of rail |91. Member 43 has a lug 43a. bent into the plane of the pawls 42 and a lug 43h extending upwardly in front of the lever 33 as shown in Fig. 5. When the lever 33 is operated to move lug 33a into the path of the set stops 30, the lug 43h in engagement with said lever causes member 43 and lug 43a to move in the same direction as lever 33 and as a result the lug 43a will disengage pawls 42 from the usual escapement rack 44. The pawls 42 are held out of engagement with rack 44 as long as lever 33 is latched by pawl 4|.

The release of pawls 42 permits the carriage to move to the left in response to the spring-motor which is generally designated 45 in Fig. 2. Eventually one of the stops 30 will strike the lug 33a in lever 33 pushing said lever longitudinally a slight distance in the direction of movement of the carriage, or upwardly as shown in Fig. 1. This movement of lever 33 is permitted by virtue of the fact that lever 33 has a short slot embracing a mounting pin 46 (Fig. 5) which slot is long enough to permit lever 33 to move to the left, or to the right in Fig. 5, far enough to clear the pawl 4| and allow a spring 41 to rock lever 33 back to its normal position` clear of the set stop which engaged said lever and also to draw the lever longitudinally back to the normal position of Fig. 1. This restoring movement of the lever 33 also allows the escapement pawls to re-engage the rack 44.

The stops 30 are set and cleared by power means which will now be described in detail. Mounted on the rear part of the main frame 48 of the 'machine and extending parallel with the rear rail |9b is a frame 49 (Figs. 2 to 4). preferably formed of a single piece of sheet metal. A pair of lugs 49a are pierced from the material comprising frame 49 and are bent downwardly.

Rotatably mounted in lugs 49a is a resetting,

shaft 50 on the right-hand end (Fig. 4) of which is secured an arm 5| while on the left-hand end is secured a stop setting device 52. This device is of novel construction and comprises a hub 52aI (Fig. 4) secured to shaft 50, a tubular arm 52h forced into a hole drilled in the hub 52 transversely of the axis of shaft 50, a setting head 52c, a spring 52d and a retaining screw 52e.

The head 52c is made from a short rod a portion of which is bent at right angles to the longer portion and attened somewhat at 52j (Fig. 3) to the same thickness as the stops 30. The longer portion of the head 52 fits loosely in the bore of arm 52h as shown in Figs. 3 and 4, which bore is shouldered at its lower end to provide an abutment against which the upper nd of spring 52d is seated. The screw 52e is threaded tightly into inclined, notch 52g and the tendency of spring 52d is to hold the bent-over portion of head 52 c yieldingly in the bottom of notch 52g. Ihe extreme upper end of the arm 52h may be pointed or slightly rounded so that the head 52C always tends to resume the normal position of Figs. 1 and 3 whenever rotatably displaced from this position.

The setting device 52 is located at virtually the center of the machine so that the flattened portion 521 will be directly in the plane of the stop 30 corresponding to a given carriage position when the carriage is in such position. The flattened portion 52f, as shown in Fig.` 3, is adapted to engage the stops 38 at a point above the pivot wire 28 s'o that a counterclockwise rotation of the setting device 52 to the position shown in dotted lines will cause the ilattened portion 52f to engage any unset stop 30 with which said flattened portion co-operates and rock the stop in the same direction into the set position.

The setting device 52 is operated by power and is controlled by a setting key 53 (Figs. 1 and 2). This key controls a single lobe cam unit 54 (Fig. 2) similar to the ones used to operate the tabulating, back-spacing and shift mechanisms, and the carriage return clutch in the Electromatic typewriter. Cam unit 54 is co-nnected by a link 55 to a bell crank 56 pivoted on wire 38 and a link 51 connects arm 5| with bell crank 56. Obviously, depression of key 53 will release cam unit 5,4 for operation by power-roller I3, the link 55 will be drawn downwardly by cam unit 54, bell crank 56 rocked counterclockwise, and link 51 pulled to the left, thereby operating the setting device 52 to set a selected Isto-p 38.

The stops 30 are reset, that is, restored to their normal unset position, by power means. Loosely mounted on the setting shaft 58 between the lefthand lug 49a (Fig. 4) and arm 5I is a tube 58.

Secured to the left-hand end of the tube 58 is a resetting or clearing cam 59. This cam is preferably formed from an L-shaped sheet metal blank by bending the longer arm of the blank into a loop 59a adapted to ysurround tube 58 while the shorter arm of the blank is formed with a V- shaped double bend (Fig. 1) to provide double cam surfaces 59h. This V-shaped portion normally occupies a position with the apex just in the rear and out of the path of the shanks'w30a (Fig. 3) of the 'set stops 38. When rocked into the dotted line position of Fig. 3, the cam surfaces 59h will lie in the path of the Shanks 38a of all set stops but will be slightly clear of the unset stops.

'Ihe clearing cam 59 is clamped to the tube 58 by the loop or bend 59a by means of a screw 59o which extends through a slot in the short end of the loop 59a and is threaded into a hole in the shank of the loop. An arm A60 is secured to the right-hand end (Fig. 4) of tube 58 and is connected by a link 6| to a clearing key 62 which is pivotally mounted on a bracket 63 secured to the front plate 64 of the machine. A pair of torsion springs 65 are provided to hold the clearing cam 59 and the resetting device 52 in normal position. One of these springs is coiled about the hub of arm 5I and engages said arm, while the other spring is coiled-about tube 58 and engages arm 6I. Both springs are anchored to a pin 66 carried by the right-hand lug 49a.

The usual power carriage return mechanism, in co-operation with the mechanism controlled by the clearing key 62, may be used to clear all the stops by power in one operation. Individual stops may be cleared by first positioning the carriage by means of the tabulating key or by hand to bring the desired stop directly in front of the apex of the V-shaped portion of clearing cam 59 and then depressing key 62. This is slow and tedious when a number of the set'stops are to be reset.

The carriage return mechanism is substantially identical in construction and operation with the one described in Patent No. 1,753,450, therefore, only a brief general description will be given herein. This mechanism is jointly controlled by a carriage return key 61 (Figs. 1 and 2) and a lever 68 pivotally mounted on the rear rail l9b (Figs. 1 and 5).

The key 61 controls a single lobe cam unit 69 (Fig. 7) which is connected by a link 10 to an extension o-f one of a pair of toggle levers 1I. The toggle levers connect a fixed pivot 12 with the upper end of a friction clutch control lever 13. The latter, when pushed to the right by straightening the4 toggle comprising leverst'll, causes a friction clutch 14 to be engaged whereby shaft I6 drives a tape drum 15 as in Patent No. 1,753,450. A tape 16, wound on the drum 15 is connected to the carriage and, as usual, operates the line spacing mechanism. Depression of key 61 causes the cam unit 69 to be operated by power-roller I3, thereby straightening the toggle which locks slightly off dead center to keep the friction clutch engaged while the carriage is returned by the winding of the tape 16 on drum 15.

The lever 68 (Fig. 5) is provided with an inclined cam surface 68a designed to be engaged by a part of the left-hand marginal stop 11 which is adjustably mounted on the usual marginal stop bar 18. Alink 19 (Figs. 5 and 6) connects lever 68 to a three-armed lever pivoted on a fixed part of the frame. This lever 80 is connected by a link 8| to a trip lever 82 pivoted on a boss 83 formed in the framework of the machine. One

arm of lever 82 underlies the extension of toggleV link H to Awhich link 19 is pivoted. Mounted on the rear face of the front plate 64 is a slide 84 (Figs. 1, 2, and 7), the upper end of which underlies the key 62 while the lower end overlies the carriage return key.

Near the end of the return movement of the carriage, the lower part of the left-hand marginal stop will strike the cam surface 68a and depress lever 68 a slight amount. This movement of lever 68 is transmitted by links 19 and 8| and lever 88, to the trip lever 82, rocking the latter slightly clockwise (Fig. 5) and, by engagement of thearm thereof with the extention of toggle link 1I, has the effect of bending the toggle back through dead center far enough to permit cam unit 69 to assume its normal position and also permits disengagement of clutch 14. The lefthand marginal stop strikes a bent-over lug 33h in lever 33 a short time after engaging the cam surface 68a. and positively arrests the carriage in position to commence a new line of writing.

When it is desired to clear all the stops in one operation, the operator will depress the clearing key 62 and hold it in depressed position. This causes the clearing cam 59 to be projected into the path of the Shanks 39a of all set stops 3l)` and at the same time slide 84 is moved downwardly by the clearing key and effects depression of the carriage return key. The carriage is now returned in the usual way by the carriage return mechanism. During the course of the It may sometimes happen that the stop setting device is moved forwardly into engagement with the unset stops 30 while the carriage is moving. 'Ihis may happen inadvertently by accidental depression of both the stop setting key 53 and the carriage return key 61 by the operator or in some other way when inexperienced persons tamper with the machine. 'Ihe articulated connection of the setting head 52h to the tubular arm 52a prevents damageM to the machine under such circumstances as the head will merely be deilected to right or left (Fig. 4) according to the direction the carriage moves, and wipe over the unset stops without damage to either the stops or the head 52h and without setting any of the stops. This feature is a valuable one because it makes the tabulating mechanism practically foolproof and protects it against all ordinary tampering and accidents short of dropping the machine or a deliberate attempt to damage it as by striking it a heavy blow.

A novel governor is provided to regulate the speed of the carriage during tabulating movements. In the ordinary typewriter, the tension of the power-spring which causes the letter spacing and tabulating movements varies considerably between the limits of the carriage travel. The power-spring must have suillcient tension to move the carriage rapidly near the end of the line but when its tension is adjusted to produce this result the spring will have too much tension for moving the carriage at the beginning of a line. This variation in tension of the power-spring has little harmful effect on the escapement mechanism but has a harmful effect on the tabular stop, column stops, and parts which support these stops. The excessive tension of the power-spring at the beginning of a line causes the carriage to move too fast with the result that some of the column stops strike the tabular stop lever with a considerable shock.

Attempts to avoid this shock during tabulating operations usually take the form of dash-pots or centrifugal governors which are only partially successful since they have a fixed setting which does not vary from one end of the line to the other. When properly adjusted they reduce or prevent shocks at Ithe beginning of a line but are apt to make the carriage move too slowly at the end of a line. On the whole, present forms of governors for typewriter and like carriages are still far from satisfactory.

The present invention provides an automatic counterbalancing or tension equalizing governor which compensates for the variation in tension of the carriage poweL-spring so that tabulating movements of the carriage are effected smoothly and with little shock regardlessof the length of such movements or whether they occur-near the beginning or end of a line. This governor is built into the power-spring unit 45 and is shown in Figs. 1, 5, and 6.

Rotatably mounted on a screw stud 85 carried by a xed part of the framework is a hub 86 to which is secured a flanged disc 81. A ring 88 is welded or brazed to disc 81 and co-operates with an axial flange and a low radial flange formed in disc 81 to provide a shallow guide-way or channel for a tape 89 which is removably attached to the disc 81 and also to the carriage. A brake disc in the form of a ratchet wheel 98 is loosely mounted on hub 86 adjacent disc 81 and a ring 9| of suitable friction material, such as composition brake lining or clutch facing, is interposed between the ratchet wheel 98 and disc 81, the ring 88 holding the ring 9| concentric with hub 86. The hub 86 is provided with screw threads 92 on which a nut 93 is threaded.

Interposed between nut 93 and ratchet wheel 98 is a multi-prong spring member 94 having four spring prongs which tend to press the ratchet Wheel 90 and ring 9| toward disc 81. Nut 93 is held against rotation by a slot in a plate 95 secured to a fixed part of the machine frame.

'Ihe entire assembly comprising the parts 86 to 94, with the exception of nut 93, is rotatable on stud 85. It is plain that rotation of this assembly causes nut 93 to travel along hub 86 and thereby vary the tension of spring 94. This has the effect of varying the frictional force which must be exerted in order to rotate disc 81 relative to the ratchet wheel 98. The parts are so designed that the tension of spring 94 and hence the braking force between disc 81 and ratchet wheel 98, increases as the carriage moves toward the position determined by left-hand marginal stop and decreases with movement in the opposite direction.

Rotatably mounted on stud 85 is a worm wheel 96 having a recessed portion 96a which iits over a collar 91 loose on hub 88. The recessed portion 96a is slightly iiattened to fit in oblong holes in a spring hook 98 and a pair of spacing washers 99 which hold the hook in the center of the recessed portion 99a. A large disc |00 is also provided with an oblong hole to fit the recessed portion 96a, and the worm wheel 96, spring hook 98, collars 99, and disc |88 are all secured together as a unit by staking or otherwise securing the lefthand collar 98 (Fig. 6) to the recessed portion 96a. This assembly is rotatable on stud 85. The power spring |8| is anchored at its inner end to spring hook 98 while its outer end is secured to the inside of the axial ange of disk 81.

The frame carrying the stud 85 has a iiange |82 enclosing the worm wheel 96. The flange is nearly circular but is shaped to form a pocket |82a the walls of which have a pair of slots or notches. Housed in this pocket and journaled loosely in the notches is a worm |83 meshing with worm wheel 96. The worm has a slotted head whereby it may be turned with a screw driver to regulate the tension of the power spring.

Normally the ratchet wheel 90 is free to rotate with disc 81 and there is no braking eifect on the latter although nut 93 oscillates back and forth on hub 86 during line writing and carriage return operations of the carriage. The tabulating mechanism is adapted to control the governor through means shown in Fig. 5.

A three-armed lever |04 is pivotally mounted on a stud |85 carried by the framework. One arm of lever |04 is connected by a link |06 to one arm of a bell crank |01 pivoted on a stud |08 (see Fig. 2 also) carried by a bracket |09. AS explained in Patent No. 1,935,436, bracket |89 also providesa mounting for the arm 40. The other arm of bell crank |01 has a rectangular slot or notch loosely embracing the lever 33 adjacent arm 40.

One arm of lever |04 extends downwardly close to ratchet disc 9-8 and has a pin |04a loosely fitting in an L-shaped slot in one end of a pawl I8. The other end of pawl ||8 is slotted to embrace a shoulder in stud |85. A spring connects pawl I8 to the third arm of lever |84 and tends to hold pawl in the position shown in Fig. 5 with pin |84a in the apex of the L-shaped slot. Pawl ||8 has a bent-over lug ||0a adapted to engage the teeth in ratchet wheel 98.

The operation of the above parts will now be explained in detail.

When the tabulating key is depressed, the cam unit associated therewith operates lever 33 as described above, causing the right-hand end of lever 33 in Fig. 5 to move rearwardly. This causes bell-crank |01 to be rocked counter-clockwise in Fig. 2, thereby pushing link |06 downwardly. As a result lever |04 is rocked clockwise in Fig. 5 carrying lug I |a into engagement with the teeth of ratchet wheel 90.

The carriage now starts to move to the right in Fig. 5 under the force of power spring |0|, the escapement pawls 42 having been released, with the result that ratchet wheel 90 will be rotated clockwise and pawl H0 will be drawn longitudinally downward against the tension of spring Eventually the pin |04a and stud. |05 will prevent further longitudinal movement of -pawl 0. At this point the ratchet wheel 90 will be held positively against further clockwise movement but spring |0| will continue to rotate the disc 81 and move the carriage until onev of the column stops 30 strikes the lug 33a in tabular lever 33.

The amount of braking effect between the ratchet Wheel 90 and disc 81, and hence the speed of the carriage, will depend on the position of nut 93A on hub 86. If the tabulating movement commences at the beginning of a line, that is, when the carriage is at its extreme right-hand position (which is the extreme left-hand position in Fig. 5), the tension of spring |0| will be a maximum while nut 9,3 will be close to disc 81 making the braking force a maximum.

At the other limit of carriage travel, both the tension of springl |0| and the braking force will be a minimum because the nut 93 will then occupy the position farthest from disc 87.

It may happen that the depression of the tabulating key occurs at a time when one of the teeth inratchet 9-0 is valmost directly opposite the lug |0a. This is possible because the teeth in ratchet 90 do not have the same spacing as -the teeth inr rack'44 and therefore may at times prevent full movement of pawl H0. If the lug ||0a were integral with lever |04, the obstruction of its movement by ratchet wheel 90 would have the effect of Wholly or partly blocking movement of lever 33 and arm 40, thereby jamming the cam-unit which operates arm 40 against the power-roller and preventing proper operation of the tabulating mechanism. The L-shaped slot in pawl ||0 permits the lever |04 to move the required amount regardless of any obstruction offered by the teeth of ratchet wheel 90.

The slotted mounti`ng of pawl ||0 also allows the carriage to move a few letter spaces before any braking action takes place. The ratchet wheel 90 has approximately half as many teeth as the escapement rack 44, whereas the latter has half as many teeth as there are letter spaces of movement. It follows therefore that approximately four letter spaces of movement ofthe carriage take place for each tooth space on ratchet wheel; The slots in pawl ||0 are such length that approximately iive letter spaces of movement of the carriage take place before ratchet wheel 90 is positively arrested. During this movement the only retarding force offered to movement of the carriage is the negligible force exerted by spring The above feature of the governor mechanism enables short tabulating movements to be effected without the sluggishness of response often experienced with common forms of carriage governors.

A feature of the governor is that it is not limited to use in connection with tabulating mechanism but maybe used generally as a means for equalizing the tension of the power spring for the purpose of obtaining a more uniform tension throughout the travel of the carriage. Ihis may be done by fixing the ratchet wheel 90 against rotation or simply by using a fixed disc not provided with teeth. This Would have the effect of automatically compensating for variation in the tension of the power spring by subjecting the carriage at all times to a braking force which varies according to the tension of the power spring. 'Ihis feature would be particularly useful on machines equipped with very wide carriages. On carriages of extreme width, such as the twentyinch carriages often used on machines for accounting and statistical work, for example, the variation in tension of the power spring is quite great with the result that letter spacing and tabulating movements are apt to be sluggish near the end of the line of writing.

The stop setting mechanism operates so smoothly and requires so little power to operate that it may be operated by manual power with but little additional effort on the part of the operator. This makes the mechanism suitable for use in machines wherein all, or nearly all, the mechanisms are operated manually instead of by power.

In Fig. 8 the mechanism has been modied to vthe extent of providing a setting key H2 like the key'62. The key ||2 is connected to arm 5| by a link 51a and both keys 62, ||2 are mounted on a double-armed bracket 63a secured to plate 64. The slide 84 or its equivalent may be used with thismodii-led construction or omitted in which case the operator would be obliged to separately depress the carriage return and clearing keys to clear the stops or return the carriage by hand if the machine is not equipped with a power carriage return mechanism.

While a specific form of the invention has been described herein for the purpose of illustrating theprinciples of which its operation depends, it is apparent that the invention may be changed in details or parts thereof may be omitted to adapt the invention to requirements of service without departing from such principles. It is desired, therefore, that the following claims be limited only by the state of the prior art.

What is claimed is:

1. A stop bar assembly for tabulating mechanisms comprising a main support bar provided with a longitudinal groove and with pairs of transverse slots one of which slots has an arcuate bottom, a fulcrum rod secured in the longitudinal groove; a series of column stops each pivoted on said rod and guided by a pair of the transverse slots, said stops having an arcuate portion concentric with said rod and contacting with the arcuate bottom of one of the slots and also having a shank; a spring strip having a plurality of tongues each co-acting with one of said Shanks to resiliently hold the stops in either of alternate positions, a spring guard strip, and means for securing thev 'spring strip and guard strip to the main support bar.

2. A stop bar for tabulating mechanisms comprising a single main support bar having a series of transverse slots and a longitudinal groove, a fulcrum rod secured in the Alongitudinal groove; a series of column stops pivotally mounted on said rod and guided by the transverse slots, said stops being settable to alternate positions both of which are limited bythe support bar, and a spring strip secured to said bar and having tongues engaging the column stops to yieldingly hold them in their alternate positions.

3. A column stop bar assembly comprising a main support bar provided with a longitudinal groove and two series of transverse slots located on opposite sides of said bar, a fulcrum rod mounted in the longitudinal groove; column stops mounted on said ro'd, each stop being guided by one of the slots of each series, each stop having a rotational movement on said bar limited by the end walls of the transverse slots, and yielding means for holding the column stops in the positions determined by the walls of the slots.

4. A stop bar having a longitudinal groove and a series of pairs of transverse slots, the slots of each pair being aligned transversely of the bar and on opposite sides of said bar, a fulcrum rod located in said longitudinal groove, a series of column stops each pivoted on said rod and guided for rotational movement by a pair of aligned slots and settable to alternate positions limited by the stop bar, yielding means to hold the stops in their set positions, a. guard for said yielding means, and common means to secure both the guard and the yielding means to said bar.

5. A stop setting device comprising a tubular arm, an L-shaped stop setting head having one leg thereof adapted to engage a stop and its other leg rotatably mounted in the bore of said arm, said arm having an inclined V-shaped notch at its upper end in which the first-named leg rests, and spring means interconnecting said second leg and the tubular arm for yieldingly holding the rst leg in said notch.

6. A tabulating mechanism comprising a series of column stops arranged in a row and rotatable from an inactive position to an active position, a setting element movable to rotate selected stops to active position, a power actuator, means engageable with the actuator to operate the setting element and a manual device for causing engagement of the engageable means withthe actuator, said setting element being adapted to Yield in either direction longitudinally of the row of stops.

'7. In combination, a stop bar having a plurality of settable column stops, and a stop setting device co-operating with said bar, said device and said bar being movable relative to each other longitudinally of the bar to select the stop to be set, said setting device comprising a pivoted support member, a setting head pivotally mounted on said support member, and means to normally yieldingly hold the setting head in a central position, said yielding means and said head being so constructed and arranged that the head can yield and wipe harmlessly over the unset stops when the bar and device are moved longitudinally relative to each other with said head in stop setting position.

8. In combination with a stop bar having a series of settable stops movably mounted thereon, a stop setting device, said bar and device being movable relative to each other longitudinally of the bar to select the stop to be set and movable transversely relative to each other to set said stop, said device comprising a setting head, a support member for the setting head, means to rotatably mount the setting head on the support member to permit said head to wipe harmlessly .over the unset stops 'when the bar is moved 1ongitudinally in either direction and said device is moved transversely of the bar to the stop setting position, and means to yieldingly hold the setting head in a central position.

9. In combination, a stop bar having settable stops mounted thereon, a pivoted support having one end thereof free to move transversely of said bar, a setting head rotatably mounted on the free end of the support and engageable with one of the unset stops when said support is rocked vtransversely of said bar, said support having two 10. In combination, a row of settable column l stops, stop setting means, said setting means and row of stops being movable relative to each other longitudinally of said row to select the stop to be set and movable relative to each other transversely of the row of stops to set the selected stop, said means including a setting head with means to mount said head whereby the latter will freely and harmlessly wipe over the unset stops in the4 event the head happens to be projected between the unset stops when the row of stops and setting means are moved longitudinally relative to each other.

11. In combination with a row of column stops; means to set said stops including a stop setting head, said head and row of stops being movable relatively to each other longitudinally of said row to select the stop to be set and relative to each other transversely of said row to set the selected stop, said head, in setting a selected stop, moving into a position to be engaged by the unset stops; and means to yieldingly movably mount said head whereby the latter will be moved out from between the stops in the event said longitudinal relative movement takes place while the head is in position to be engaged by the unset stops.

12. In combination with a carriage, vcolumn stops, means to set the column stops in an operative position, means to clear said stops, a stop clearing key for controlling the clearing means, power operated carriage returnmechanism, and means controlled by said key for initiating operation of the carriage return mechanism when the clearing key is operated.

13. In combination, a tabulating mechanism including a movable counterstop, a stop bar having a longitudinal groove and two series of transverse slots disposed along opposite edges of said bar, a pivot Wire or rod supported by said bar in the longitudinal groove, stop setting and clearing means, a series of column stops rotatably mounted on the pivot wire and each guided by a pair of oppositely disposed slots in the bar, each column stop having a projecting part cooperating with the counterstop when the column stop is set to operative position and clear of the counterstop when the column stop is set to inoperative position, said stops each having two separate portions, engageable by the stop setting and clearing means, to move the stop to operative and inoperative positions.

CHESTER W. CRUMRINE. 

